Delhi Commission for Women summons Somnath Bharti

The Delhi Commission for Women has summoned law minister Somnath Bharti to depose before it over allegations of manhandling of some Ugandan women by a group led by him during a midnight raid in South Delhi.

Five Ugandan women have recorded their complaints with the Commission alleging that they had been man-handled by the minister and his associates on January 15 night, DCW Chairperson Barkha Singh said on Wednesday.

"We had asked him to appear before the Commission on Tuesday but he did not show up. We will be sending another summon to him through the SHO concerned. If he still does not appear, we shall write to the Lt Governor and to the Delhi Police Commissioner," she added.

Singh said three of the Ugandan women have claimed that unknown persons had forcibly entered their house in the middle of the night asking for their passports and started searching their suitcases.

The women have alleged that they were made to take off their clothes while checking for the key, Singh said.

"Two of the Ugandan women have stated that they were stopped while returning from work and forced to give urine samples while sitting in a taxi," Singh said.

On the night of January 15, Bharti and AAP volunteers had reached Khirki Extension and conducted a raid on houses of Nigerian and Ugandan nationals.

Bharti claimed that the raid had been conducted after he received information about a prostitution-and-drugs racket in the area.